UK site additional charges

GAVLAD

GAVLAD

Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Posts
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Location
West Yorkshire
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32,620
MH
EuraMobil Activa 820HS
Exp
2007
Hello Funsters

Some of you may be aware that we’ve postponed our trip to France and Spain and have now opted for a UK holiday.
It looks like we’ve bagged the last pitch that was available for our 10 nights in August at a nice site on the outskirts of Padstow.
We’ve been before to this site, albeit a long time ago and in an old VW campervan.
Although it has its own stretch of private beach, it’s a bus or taxi ride from the centre of Padstow, so this year, our plans were to hire a car for 5 to 7 days as going out for the day in a near 9m Motorhome may be a little different to a 1974 VW on country lanes in Cornwall.
I’m currently trying to find an ‘affordable’ hire car and preferably to collect in Padstow rather than to trail to Newquay airport to collect.
What has surprised me is upon reading the campsites rules, they charge £5 per night extra for an additional car.
Additional cars must be parked within your pitch boundary.

So why charge extra?
I could understand it if it was to be parked in their car park, but if you are paying for the pitch, shouldn’t it matter what you fill that pitch with?

Incidentally, they also charge for gazebos. (Not that we are taking one) Again, if it goes on your pitch, why charge extra?
They don’t allow group bookings, so that cancels out the scenario of loads of cars relating to one group on a pitch.

So a car and caravan don’t get charged, but a Motorhome with car does.
Yet a car, tent and trailer is ok.
I don’t understand this.

So my little run around car hire will cost an extra £35 before we’ve even started.

BTW, we are paying £46.00 per night for the 10night stay for the pitch with electric, 2 adults & 1 child.
Any ideas what the thought process is behind additional charges on sites?
 
Never been charged for our tow car.
Although say that we stayed over Christmas a few years ago on a site on the Cornish border, when we arrived it was snowing and we knew the lane to the site was steep so we drove the car separate and site owner stated that normally they would charge for the car unless it was towed. I don’t know what difference it makes.
 
We stayed on a site in Dorset last year. It’s a lovely site but we won’t go again as they charged us extra for a car. We argued about it, pointing out that having a car and a motorhome was pretty much the same as a car and a caravan. We also said that we would not be using any more water or electric, etc. The owner replied that it’s different for motorhomes. It really isn’t!
 
Site I am on charges £3 per night for an extra car - first one is free. I agree what’s the difference to a caravan and a car but I surpose it’s their site and they can charge what they want - £5 is a lot tho.
 
I've stayed on sites where the 'without awning' is hard standing and 'with' has some grass. Nearly all sites seem to charge extra for it these days.

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Same in a site we used in Cornwall when visiting family but not now! If we towed the car no charge but we hired so charged . Also ferry gets in late evening to Plymouth so £10 extra for check in and if ferry is even later £20 and they live in site . Will never use again as the charges have changed for ‘ extras ‘ every year
 
Every way you turn nowadays there are slimy characters waiting to pounce on you and rip you off for as much as they can. No one wants to make a living any more, they all want to make a killing, a big deal that they can boast about to their friends. I hate this aspect of daily life and treasure those contacts I can find who still have some values of decency.
 
BobtheBass said:
Every way you turn nowadays there are slimy characters waiting to pounce on you and rip you off for as much as they can. No one wants to make a living any more, they all want to make a killing, a big deal that they can boast about to their friends. I hate this aspect of daily life and treasure those contacts I can find who still have some values of decency.
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"Charge what the market will bear"; as long as people pay the "extra" they will keep charging. It is the same for all consumables. I used to be a small business adviser in another life and so many businesses charged too little for their services as compared with their competitors. You can always reduce a price for an incentive, but it is terribly difficult to raise a price once your market has got used to your "old" price. I'm sorry for you, but you've obviously voted with your feet and probably the site is still there because somebody WILL pay the extra for the convenience, the location, the views, the clean loos, the..... oh you get my drift. So no. they are not "slimy rip off merchants" but businesses trying to make a living in rather difficult times and probably charging about the same as their competition.
Oh dear, rant over ... and no, I'm staying at home this summer as the sites are booking too fast for me to keep up, and few of the reasons I go off on my singleton trips are not fully open. Personal choice again!
 
DiggerJon said:
"Charge what the market will bear"; as long as people pay the "extra" they will keep charging. It is the same for all consumables. I used to be a small business adviser in another life and so many businesses charged too little for their services as compared with their competitors. You can always reduce a price for an incentive, but it is terribly difficult to raise a price once your market has got used to your "old" price. I'm sorry for you, but you've obviously voted with your feet and probably the site is still there because somebody WILL pay the extra for the convenience, the location, the views, the clean loos, the..... oh you get my drift. So no. they are not "slimy rip off merchants" but businesses trying to make a living in rather difficult times and probably charging about the same as their competition.
Oh dear, rant over ... and no, I'm staying at home this summer as the sites are booking too fast for me to keep up, and few of the reasons I go off on my singleton trips are not fully open. Personal choice again!
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A friend recommended a driveway contractor to me who was well known to him. I asked if he would give him my details when he next spoke as I wanted a new driveway. When they spoke the first question the contractor asked my friend was "is he loaded?" followed by "how much do you think I can screw out of him? A similar thing happened when my neighbour had his soffits and bargeboards replaced. He was very happy with the work so I asked the same company to quote. He priced me exactly double what he charged my neighbour (same house) because he never gave a thought to the fact that my neighbour and I might have spoken about the cost and I had a new motorhome parked outside. I could list a dozen similar events where companies have simply tried to screw as much money out of a job instead of pricing it up correctly and thats what I was referring to. Do you really think that "charge what the market will bear" is acceptable rather than a fair price for a fair job? You must be a salesmans delight!

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It’s classic bait and hook pricing. Most people focus on the headline price rate, so it rewards sites to “hide” the true cost in the extras.
Same in the insurance industry - quote for a policy, and once the customer is hooked, charge extra for eu travel, legal assistance etc etc
It’s a poor strategy if you want to build long term customer relationships, but if you’ve got a long line of infrequent and new customers, it probably works. Look at WHSmith - one of the few high at retailers to have thrived - they rip you off every time but they know we only go there when we’re desperate.
Theres no such thing as a fair price ...just the price the buyer is willing to pay
 
A number of companies are clearly trying to 'chase revenue' to make up for COVID-19 situation.
One supplier to my Trust found yesterday hiking prices as they "have to, to make our business profitable again" has led to them doing no business, we have found an alternative supplier for the same product at the original quoted price.
Chasing revenue is a dangerous business gamble as many have, and are, finding out.
Lets hope sites doing the same don't pay the long term price of failure if the crowds that may book in the short term drift to cheaper alternatives.
 
Where else but WH Smiths would I have got eg monthly Shooting Times, Practical Caravan or H&E and a regular supply of either Basildon Bond or an O/S, Michelin or Firestone map plus decent selection of good wrapping paper and greetings cards?
 
sedge said:
Where else but WH Smiths would I have got eg monthly Shooting Times, Practical Caravan or H&E and a regular supply of either Basildon Bond or an O/S, Michelin or Firestone map plus decent selection of good wrapping paper and greetings cards?
Click to expand...
Sorry, lost me there... :unsure:

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The west country seems to work on the supply and demand ethos, they will always fill the sites, like you said, you got the last pitch. What annoys me is things that seemed to start there, like charging for dogs seem to then spread rapidly to other areas. It's not like dogs use the toilets and showers and you are supposed to make it like they've never been there.
 
Silver-Fox said:
It’s no different for charging for a dog.

I can’t get my head around that one either.
Anyone that doesn’t clean up after their dog wants their arse kicking anyway.

I guess it’s like the Dire Straights lyrics money for nothing 🤷‍♂️
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But 'are the chicks for free?'
 
It all started with Carry on Camping !
1592999432288-341019787.png
 
GAVLAD said:
Hello Funsters

Some of you may be aware that we’ve postponed our trip to France and Spain and have now opted for a UK holiday.
It looks like we’ve bagged the last pitch that was available for our 10 nights in August at a nice site on the outskirts of Padstow.
We’ve been before to this site, albeit a long time ago and in an old VW campervan.
Although it has its own stretch of private beach, it’s a bus or taxi ride from the centre of Padstow, so this year, our plans were to hire a car for 5 to 7 days as going out for the day in a near 9m Motorhome may be a little different to a 1974 VW on country lanes in Cornwall.
I’m currently trying to find an ‘affordable’ hire car and preferably to collect in Padstow rather than to trail to Newquay airport to collect.
What has surprised me is upon reading the campsites rules, they charge £5 per night extra for an additional car.
Additional cars must be parked within your pitch boundary.

So why charge extra?
I could understand it if it was to be parked in their car park, but if you are paying for the pitch, shouldn’t it matter what you fill that pitch with?

Incidentally, they also charge for gazebos. (Not that we are taking one) Again, if it goes on your pitch, why charge extra?
They don’t allow group bookings, so that cancels out the scenario of loads of cars relating to one group on a pitch.

So a car and caravan don’t get charged, but a Motorhome with car does.
Yet a car, tent and trailer is ok.
I don’t understand this.

So my little run around car hire will cost an extra £35 before we’ve even started.

BTW, we are paying £46.00 per night for the 10night stay for the pitch with electric, 2 adults & 1 child.
Any ideas what the thought process is behind additional charges on sites?
Click to expand...
That's why we never entertain these type of sites sadly. Your right..a pitch is a pitch, and you rent that out, so fill it with all you've taken on your trip is how I see it. It's just greed at the end of the day.

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Indeed Skyway - entirely your choice - but clearly if they are usually pretty full then others are happy and nobody has EVER been able to please all of the people all of the time, so fair enough - but don't criticise them!
 
A window cleaner used to do my parents windows two upstairs 0ne big one and the front door, same set up as my terrace house, same window cleaner he charged me £8 always got £10 my parents £12 always got £15
Then found out he was charging the older lady across the road £15, same house front. Needless to say he lost all 3 customers and the rest of the street that my parents lived in for what he charged the lovely widow. (not the best business practice)
 
sedge said:
Indeed Skyway - entirely your choice - but clearly if they are usually pretty full then others are happy and nobody has EVER been able to please all of the people all of the time, so fair enough - but don't criticise them!
Click to expand...
That the problem if no one criticise them then the price will go up where will it stop
 
This thread has been an eye-opener to me.

We live and tour on the Continent but when we have returned to UK for MOT we have village parking or a friend's farm.

When touring on the Continent we rarely pay, although we are happy to at the rates normally charged - €5-7 for Aires, maybe €10 for a farm.

About 3 years ago we found the Aire at Avignon now has a height barrier so we used the campsite by the river and just across from the old city and that was €18 all inclusive on hard-standing.

Bit different from prices above.

Signed: 'Disgusted' from Poland.

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